Scrapbook
by Destined Meltdowns
Summary: A collection of one-shots and drabbles about Danny Phantom. Now up: Sam isn't Sam anymore. She once was before the accident, but now all the goth girl spunk is practically nonexistent. The new girl is distant and quiet, and she doesn't even know who Danny is. Danny misses his Sam. And all he wants is his best friend back.
1. Thoughts

****Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, have never owned it, and probably never will. That is, until I make contact with aliens and send their armies upon Nicktoons Studios... Achem, I mean, please enjoy the one-shots.****

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><p><strong>Thoughts<strong>

**Rating: K+**

**Character: Vlad**

**Pairing: N/A**

**Genre: Angst**

**Summary: Vlad's thoughts after Phantom Planet.**

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><p>How do I feel about being banished to outer space? Pshh, there's so much I could tell you.<p>

Daniel just _had_ to save the world from the Distasteroid. It was going to be my world. I would have power, money. No one, not even Daniel would get in my way.

I lost my reputation. I used to be the richest man in the world. People respected me. I was the mayor of Amity Park; Daniel was my puppet as long as I had power over his pathetic town. Now I'm a…_fruitloop, _as Daniel says - mocked and shamed into this endless void of blackness.

It's quite peaceful in space, actually. There's no way for sound to travel, so I can scream all I want and no one will hear. I've been pulled in orbit with Earth and float around it day by day. It gives me time to think. Now, looking back on it, I realized how unthorough my plan was. I'd completely underestimated Daniel and left him out of the picture. There was no way _he_ could stop the Distasteroid…or so I thought…

What was I going to do once I ruled the world? It was really a mystery to me. Sure, I could slave the entire population into tending for my every need, live like a king, but I would still be empty. Why? Because I wanted Daniel more than anything in the world. To have someone like me (Danielle doesn't count. She was imperfect anyway.) be my apprentice, my son, that would be truly amazing. I could have trained him to be the greatest.

In truth, wanting Maddie was a mask to cover what I really wanted. Sure, I had loved Maddie in college, but it was time to move on. I still hated Jack with all my being for causing the ecto-acne that almost killed me...twice. When they visited me that fateful day about a year ago, I saw him. That soft raven-haired boy with blue eyes. My ghost sense went off, and I knew that he was _the_ halfa so many ghosts had ranted about. Something in me was sure.

I knew I needed my hands on him, so I could have the son I'd always wanted, so I went for Maddie. She was still beautiful, but there was no spark between us - not like there had been so many years ago. I started to like her again, but not as strongly, while planning out what I was going to do:

Pull Maddie and Jack apart.

Take Maddie as my wife.

Have Daniel as my apprentice.

Daniel refused me again and again, as I felt the sting of those words. The more he denied me, the more he made me want him to be my son. I always told myself in time that he would obey me.

Now, I have nothing but hatred for him. He saved the world and got monuments placed all over the world in his honor, while I sit and stare at his miserable planet, suspended in space.

Don't worry, my friend, because if you're reading this, you're lucky enough to know that I, Vlad Plasmius, will return to Earth. After all, if I've lost everything already, that means I have nothing to lose. There's nothing that can stop me, and this time, I guarantee _nothing_.

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><p><strong><strong>Hey, guys, you can request specific one-shots if you want to! Just leave the following info in a review, and I'll make it happen!<strong>**

****Preferred Rating:****

****Character(s):****

****Pairing: _If any_ ****

****Genre:****

****Summary:****


	2. Window

**Window**

**Rating: K**

**Characters: Danny, Sam**

**Pairing: DannyxSam**

**Genre: Romance**

**Summary: Every night, when I look out my window, all I see is him and an endless starry sky.**

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><p>It was night again. A beautiful, crystal clear night. It was rare for nights like this to come to the city of Amity Park, considering the fact that it was a city full of bright lights and smog, polluting the environment and covering the bright stars.<p>

I sighed and rested my elbow on my window pane, staring into the sky. Danny Phantom flew around, his eyes closed, obviously enjoying the refinement of the moment.

I loved Danny - both Fenton and Phantom. I'd loved him since the day I'd set eyes on him. His raven hair and soft blue eyes - his amazing personality. When the accident with the Fenton Portal had turned him into a half-ghost, I thought I'd killed him, and felt like my world had ended.

Every night, when I look out my window, all I see is him and the night sky.

I see him suddenly stop in midair and look towards me. I could see his luminous green eyes lock with mine Suddenly, something stopped him from his flight. He glanced around and stared straight into my eyes.

_Great, _I thought, face instantly flushing. _Now he knows I watch him fly at night. He's probably creped out and thinks I'm a stalker. ...Kinda am..._

Instead of looking confused or mad, a peaceful smile crossed his face. He swooped down, towards me and held out his hand.

"May I have this flight, Miss Manson?" he said, kneeling down, one foot on my windowsill and the other suspended in midair, and holding out his hand.

Shocked that_ this_ is what he had come to say, I froze a bit silent, before gently taking his hand and grinning. "Of course."


	3. Light

**Light**

**Rating: K**

**Character: Danny**

**Genre: Supernatural**

**Summary: If I hadn't tripped and pressed that button, I might have never found my purpose in this world…**

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><p>It was the middle of September. School had started two weeks ago, as I recalled, and my life was completely normal. …Well, as normal as it gets for a kid with ghost obsessed parents.<p>

Me and my two best friends, Tucker and Sam, were walking home on a crisp, autumn day.

"I can't believe my parents are _still_ obsessing over ghosts! They've been doing it since college- maybe even before!" I whined. I was practically at the end of my rope with the 'Fenton Ghostinator this' and the 'Fenton Ghost Blaster that!' "…And get this: they never even saw a ghost!"

"Danny," Sam said, placing her hand on my shoulder, "Relax. They can obsess all they want, but as long as they never see a ghost, you have nothing to worry about."

"That's what I'm afraid about," I replied, sighing. "They've been building a ghost portal since June. I know that, like, _none_ of their inventions have worked, but this one looks pretty good. And the way they talk about it - I don't know what would happen if it _doesn't_ work."

Sam's eyes widened at hearing that. "You mean they might be able to access a world full of ghosts? That's so cool!"

"Goth," Tucker snickered. She shot a glare at him and punched Tucker In the arm.

"Actually, it's called the Ghost Zone, according to my parent's studies."

"Don't you want to check it out, Danny? I mean, what harm does _looking _at it do?" Tucker urged.

"No, guys," I said firmly. _Hold your ground, Fenton._

"Please?" Sam pleaded, her violet eyes begging.

"No," I replied. "My parents would ground me for life if they found out I was messing with their Ghost Portal!"

"But you won't mess with it," Sam retorted, hands on hips. "You'll just take a quick peek with us. No harm no foul."

"Fine," I grumbled.

"Yes!" Tucker yelled, shooting his fist in the air.

We got to my house and I opened the door to the basement, quickly motioning for the duo to go downstairs. They rushed down and gaped at the room. What used to be a storage area for failed inventions (the inventions were moved to the garage) had become a room filled with test tubes, wires, metal, and most of all, a giant octagon built into the wall. A red light flashed on and off at the top.

"Hey, Mom, Dad," I greeted.

"Oh, hello, Danny, Sam, Tucker," my mom, Maddie replied. She appeared estatic, so she probably didn't realize that we weren't supposed to be in the basement. "Your father and I just finished installing the Fenton Portal. You guys are just in time to see the unveiling of the Ghost Zone."

I rolled my eyes while Tucker and Sam stared in awe. "I told you we should come down," Sam replied with that all-too-familiar 'I was so right' grin.

"Three, two one…BANZAI!" my father, Jack, shouted, pressing a button.

Silence.

"It probably needs to warm up, dear," Maddie said, reassuring herself more than anyone.

Silence.

"Press it again?" she offered, probably praying that it would work.

Nothing happened. We stood there for at least three minutes, the room so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It pained me to look at my parent's eager expressions, slowly falling as the seconds ticked by.

My father broke the silence. "All that hard work for nothing."

"I'm sorry, kids," Maddie said mournfully. "I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

The both sauntered up the stairs, sullenly staring at the floor.

"I feel awful," I said. "They really wanted it to work. They wanted it more than anything."

We sat in silence. Although I was totally embarrassed by my parents' obsession with ghosts, I couldn't help but feel terrible. The ghost portal was the one thing that kept them going day and night. It was their lifetime wish to complete it.

"Danny," Sam started, her voice slightly shaky, "Could you go in the portal?"

"What?" I gasped. "That thing is dangerous!"

"It didn't work," Tucker said. "You're fine."

"Besides," Sam said," Your parents aren't gonna rest until it's fixed. They probably forgot a part or something, and it'll be working in no time. How would you like to be the first person to be in a _ghost portal_?"

"I wouldn't."

"Please? For my scrapbook?"

"No. I already showed you it! Me going in it wasn't part of the bargain."

"Danny!" she pleaded. "Who knows what super cool things are beyond there?"

"Okay!" I replied, slightly annoyed. "I'll go in."

"Great!" she squealed, fishing her camera out of her spider shaped backpack. "Here," Sam said, thrusting me a black and white hazmat suit. I slipped it on over my clothes and shakily took a breath.

Sam's eyes widened at my chest. "You can't go walking around with that on your chest!" she exclaimed, ripping off a sticker with my dad's face on it which I'd failed to notice. "Okay. Smile!"

She snapped a photo of me with a confused look on my face. I had an awkward stance, too.

"Go in, man!" Tucker urged.

I slowly took a step in and continued forward, the black getting darker and darker until my foot caught onto some wires on the floor. I waved my arms frantically, trying to grab onto something, but my hand smacked into a wall. I clutched it as it throbbed.

Suddenly, there was a spark. Then panels around me lit up before I was blasted with electricity. All I saw was light. All I felt was pain. All I knew was that I was dying. It burned for what felt like days while something cold sloshed through my veins. I started feeling like ice on the inside, but burning on the outside.

I never thought it would happen, but the pain ceased and I stumbled out of the portal and passed out on the floor.

My eyes fluttered open.

"Danny," Sam whispered. "What happened?"

I couldn't find the heart to respond. I was so weak.

Tucker slowly raised a mirror up to me. My hair was snow white and my eyes were neon green, as if they were glowing. _No, this isn't me. I'm not_ Danny _anymore._

"Y- you're a ghost," he stuttered.

_I was dead?_ "No!"

If I hadn't tripped and pressed that button, I might have never found my purpose in this world…

I believe that I felt the pain of the Fenton Portal three times in my life. My purpose is to protect my town. Some even call it my "ghost obsession." The truth is, becoming a half-ghost became the light of my life. It showed me what I was meant to do.


	4. Enemies

**Enemies**

**Rating: K**

**Character: Danny **

**Genre: Thoughts**

**Summary: How Danny feels about his enemies.**

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><p>Don't get me wrong- being a Danny Phantom is great and all. I mean, I have a ton of fans who want my autograph and believe it or not, I enjoy defending the town, but even the best things have flaws.<p>

The number one worst thing about ghost hunting is hands down…the enemies.

There's so many of them! I bet there's a bounty on my head in the Ghost Zone so large that it could keep two families running for a lifetime. Some hunt me. Others hate me so much, they'll probably spend their whole after life bent on cold, hard revenge.

And as Fenton, there's even _more_ enemies. (Hard to believe, right?) I'm at the dead bottom of the social pyramid, so naturally, everyone hates me.

Dash is the worst. He torments me on a daily basis for entertainment. I bet that he spends his evenings thinking of new nicknames for me and new ways to torture me. The worst part is that he treats Phantom like a king. He's my biggest fan, yet he beats me up every day. If only he knew… I'd love to see the look on his face.

Then there's Paulina. I used to be so love-struck with her; her beauty would infatuate me. After a while, Sam showed me what a horrible jerk she is and slapped some sense into me. Paulina calls people who aren't popular "nobodies" and she's so shallow; she only cares for herself. Thank goodness Sam's here for me. If she wasn't, I'd be blind.

Of course, next to Dash and Paulina is the popular crowd, consisting of Kwan, Star, and several more people. They only pick on me so they can stay popular. Sometimes, I step back and realize how naïve people can be.

And you all know Vlad, my halfa enemy. He's the absolute worst. All he wants is revenge on my father, and to marry my mom. (Just...ew.) He can't get over the fact that I don't want to be evil and obsessed over it to the point that he tried to clone me.

Yeah, whether it's ghosts, humans, or halfas, I've got enemies. Tough luck? Heck yeah, but I wouldn't give up my powers for the world. They're my purpose - the reason I probably exist.


	5. Done

**Done**

**Rating: T**

**Character: Dani Fenton-Masters/Dani Phantom**

**Genre: Angst**

**Summary: Dani can't take being a clone anymore. Post Kindred Spirits; Rated T for character death through suicide.**

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><p>That's it. This is stupid. Life is stupid. I'm done with this.<p>

Vlad just _had_ to get all obsessed with cloning Danny and create me. I've got no purpose in this world. They've already got their hero: Danny Phantom. I'm a failed copy.

Vlad told me he loved me. He called me his greatest creation. He lied.

He only wanted me to make a better Danny clone. One that was a boy and older. A _perfect _clone.

But I'm not perfect. No one loves me. Vlad, well you know he hates me, and if I went back to him, he would melt me first chance, Danny's off saving the world, and he has no time for a girl who betrayed him.

Maybe I should just leave this world. I don't care what happens.

I shift into Dani Phantom and start shooting ectoplasm everywhere. Green bubbles at my feet as they sink to the ground - the melting begins, but I don't fight it. I let it take over.


	6. Closure

**Closure**

**Rating: T**

**Characters: Danny, Sam**

**Genre: Tragedy/Hurt/Comfort**

**Pairing: DxS**

**Summary: No, he couldn't be dead. He was Danny Phantom. Danny Phantom doesn't _die_. ... I **_**loved**_** him.**

It happened so fast. Danny was ready to shift into Phantom, his eyes already glowing green, but the mystery ghost was too speedy. In one swift movement, its arm shot a powerful ectoblast straight towards his heart. Danny remained paralyzed with fear and took the shot. His body was jerked back, then he crumpled to the ground, motionless.

"NO!" I screamed, rushing over to my friend. His breaths were warbled and strained as his hand traveled up to his bleeding chest. His pearl glove instantly became coated in crimson. Danny's eyes widened at the sight of the intense blood - I could tell he'd never felt pain to that degree before.

"Danny, stay with me," I said pleadingly. "C'mon, Danny!" I yelled frantically, shaking his shoulders. His eyes were distant, though, and I could literally see the light fading from his neon green eyes. Hands shaking, I pressed my index and middle finger to his neck. No pulse.

...

I glared at the ghost, hatred in my eyes. "You killed him!" I screamed. "How dare you!" My body violently shook as I clutched Danny's cold hand.

I hated that ghost. I hated him so much. _He killed my friend._

No, be couldn't be dead. He was Danny Phantom. Danny Phantom doesn't _die_.

...

...I _loved_ him.

The mystery ghost laughed bitterly. "No more Danny Phantom," he spat, turning invisible and leaving me alone.

"I hate you!" I shrieked. "Go to hell!"

"I'm so sorry," I whispered to the limp body I held in my arms, my voice hoarse from screaming. "I never got to tell you how much I loved you."

I planted a small kiss onto his cold lips.

The tears streamed harder and harder as I sobbed loudly, my chest heaving up and down. My eyeliner and mascara was smudged, but that was the least of my worries.

"Danny," I wailed. I felt like my world had shattered. I didn't want to live anymore; there was no reason to, yet I _couldn't_ die. Danny wouldn't have wanted that.

I was completely alone in the woods. Danny and I had decided to go to a picnic so we could spend more one-on-one time together, since we spent most of our time catching ghosts and Danny had lately become obsessed with a new video game which Tucker and he couldn't stop playing.

After there were no more tears left, but still a world of pain and sadness, I carried Danny's body away to Fenton Works. It took every ounce of strength in me to explain what had happened without crying. My eyes watered and I dug my nails into my legs to prevent me from breaking down into tears.

The Fentons were stunned. I felt terrible, like it was my fault that he'd died. Maybe it was. I should have pushed him out of the way or let the ghost take me instead. Anyone but Danny…

That night, I sat at my desk, plagued by memories of just hours before. I was going to have nightmares of that night, so I was up until about midnight.

Suddenly, I heard a tap on the window. Startled, I spun around, only to be faced with Danny Phantom. His snowy hair shone in the moonlight and his fluorescent eyes lit up my dark room.

"Danny!" I cried, flinging the window open. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled the startled ghost in for a kiss. He was tense at first, then quickly relaxed and ran his fingers through my hair. He was gone...but I knew he would never leave me.

"I thought I'd lost you," I whispered through tears.

"So you _did_ like me?" he asked, a mischevous smile playing on his lips.

"I always have."


	7. Blanket

**Blanket**

**Rating: K**

**Characters: Danny, Dash **

**Genre: Humor**

**Summary: While saving Dash from a ghost, Danny discovers an…interesting secret about him.**

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><p>"Somebody help me!" Dash yelled. An ectopus had reached out and wrapped a tentacle around him, and his arms and legs were flailing in the air.<p>

"Dash! Uh, I mean I'll save you citizen!" Danny Phantom yelled, his wispy ghost tail swaying behind him. He raised his hand and shot a strong, clean ectoblast at the ghost. It wailed and dropped Dash to the ground.

_This is too easy_, Danny thought. He shot his ice ray around some of the tentacles on the ground, freezing part of it to the surface. The ectopus turned intangible and floated through the ice.

"Sometimes I feel really stupid," muttered Danny. Luckily, the stupid ghost wasn't even putting up a fight. Bad news? That was because it was more interested in terrorizing Dash. It swooped over him and picked him up again; Dash was now hanging upside down from his ankle. He started to pale, and Danny could tell the blood was rushing to his head because of the pained, dizzy expression on Dash's face.

Danny wanted to attack the ectopus, but he knew that if he hit it, he would drop Dash on his head, and as much as Danny hated that kid, he knew he couldn't let Dash break his neck.

"Hang in there, kid!" Danny yelled, quickly trying to think of some kind of plan.

"Kay," Dash replied, looking rather sick. He reached into his backpack and seemed to grasp onto a yellow piece of cloth.

_What is that?_ Danny wondered. Distracted by his own thoughts, he didn't see the ectopus's tentacle swinging at full speed towards him. Danny felt the tentacle slam into his stomach, and his body was smashed into the side of a building. Seeing that this was his chance, Danny grabbed the tentacle and sent it hurtling over his head into the air. The tentacle around Dash loosened, so Danny shot out and snatched the teen away.

The two flew for a bit before Danny realized Dash's sick state, so he found a secluded alleyway and landed.

Dash's face begain to regain color. "Thanks, Phantom," he said, slightly panting. "You're the best."

"It's no problem, kid," Danny replied. He looked at Dash's hand, knuckles white from clenching the cloth. "Er, what is that?"

"Nothing," Dash said quietly, eyes traveling to his feet.

"C'mon, I just saved you. It's the least you can do." Danny knew he was being persistent and probably slightly annoying, but Phantom he could get away with a lot more than Fenton could.

Dash nervously looked around to make sure the two were alone. "It's...um, my security blanket."

_Dash? A security blanket? _Danny couldn't believe his ears. _Priceless.._

"Yeah," Dash nervously replied after Phantom remained silent. "Could you, um, not tell anyone?"

"Sure thing," Danny replied. "I gotta go finish off the ectopus. Be careful, kay?"

"'Course, Phantom. Thanks again."

Danny rocketed off into the sky. It's a shame Dash failed to notice the two fingers crossed behind the ghost boy's back.


	8. Plane

**Another one of my favorite one-shots right here! It's slightly a songfic (although it only takes the chorus of the song.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or the song "Airplanes."**

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><p><strong>Plane<strong>

**Rating: K**

**Character: Danny Phantom**

**Genre: Angst/Tragedy**

**Pairing: N/A**

**Summary: AU; Danny Phantom is all alone. His family and friends have disappeared, and he can't make real ones. People who want to be his friend only like him for his powers and fame. All he wants is to have a life again, but he can't. That car accident took it away.**

_Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?_

_I could really use a wish right now…_

Danny Phantom sat on a hill, the soft night breeze ruffling through his hair. It was pitch black outside except for the shining stars and his gently glowing eyes.

It was silent.

_There's no one here for me anymore,_ he thought, his heart sore from ache. He didn't remember how long ago that tragic car accident took away his life, though he didn't care. Danny had woken up in the Ghost Zone feeling lost and alone. He didn't feel or _act_ like a ghost. He was a ghost who fought ghosts. His own kind.

Devastated, Danny flew back to his old house, only to find a boarded up, crumbling building. He searched the entire country for his family and friends, but he had no idea where they were. It was like they disappeared off the face of the earth.

He'd come across Amity, a small town in the Midwestern part of the U.S., and something had kept him grounded there, as if an invisible string was pulling him down.

While there, he decided to fight ghosts and keep them from terrorizing the town. It helped pass the time, but it didn't take away the empty feeling that he would always carry inside of him.

Danny picked at the grass, staring into the night sky. Something twinkled brighter than the other stars as it streaked across the sky. _A shooting star! _he thought. _I wish that I could have my life back. My family back. My friends back._

He floated upwards to the sky as if to touch it, only to realize upon closer view that it was an airplane. _I'll pretend that it's a shooting star. I need that wish._

Some say time will heal. Those people are wrong.


	9. Animal

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom**

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><p><strong>Animal<strong>

**Rating: K**

**Characters: The Box Ghost, Kitty, ****Skulker, Technus, Ember, Johnny**

**Genre: Humor**

**Pairing: N/A**

**Summary: The ghosts in the Ghost Zone have a meeting discussing Danny Phantom, but the Box Ghost has other things on his mind. **

"Okay. This meeting is now in session," Kitty said, slamming a mallet on the table. Other ghosts sat up straighter as she glared.

"We all know why we're here. That _pest,_ Danny Phantom, has foiled us for the last time. We need a plan, new attacks, _something_ that will help us win.

"Oh, I have an idea!" the Box Ghost shouted, jumping up from his seat.

"Yes?" Kitty said, feeling that calling on him was a bad idea.

"We should pelt him with boxes!"

"Any other suggestions?"

"Well," Skulker started, "We could always hang his pelt on my wall."

"Or suck him in his own thermos!" Ember offered.

"Or we could electrocute him!" Technus yelled.

"How about we make him wet himself in his sleep?" Johnny asked.

"Huh?"

"You know. You put his hand in a warm cup of water and make him pee in his pants."

"Ew! That's gross!" Kitty exclaimed.

"How about we pack him up in a box and mail him to Canada?" the Box Ghost said.

Everyone started, confused as to how he could keep forgetting the fact that Danny could turn intangible.

"Or maybe I could sneak into his house and scare him!" he exclaimed.

"I hate to break it to you, but you're not scary. Not. One. Bit," Ember said, sounding pretty annoyed.

"Oh, c'mon, guys! I'm scary!" the Box Ghost protested. "Fear me!" he yelled.

"Oh, yeah, Boxy. You're an animal."


	10. War

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.**

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><p><strong>War<strong>

**Rating: K**

**Character: Paulina **

**Genre: Thoughts**

**Pairing: Slight DxS; Mention of DxP**

**Summary: Every boy falls for me! What happened with Fenton? **

Every boy falls for me! What happened with loser-Fenton?

I used to be able to flip my hair and he would instantly be infatuated by my beauty. Now he's all googly-eyed over that goth freak, Sam.

I don't get it. It was so easy before. I even tore apart the slight romance that they had when I asked Danny to the dance.

Then Sam called me shallow! She shouldn't be talking. All she wants is to be "individual," but being a goth? Puh-lease. That's as individual as a shirt. Sure, it's one style, but there's thousands of them.

And don't get me wrong- it's not like I like Danny… I mean Fenton anyway. He's a nobody; just another face in the crowd. I'm a beautiful, popular somebody; totally out of his league.

However, now he's over me and in love with Sam; I can just see it in his eyes. No matter what I do, I can't rip his eyes away from her.

Sure, I could go for some other boy, but they already think I'm beautiful. Now it's Danny's turn.

Watch out, Sam, because this. Is. War.


	11. Stars

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom**

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><p><strong>Stars<strong>

**Rating: K**

**Character: Star **

**Genre: Thoughts**

**Pairing: N/A**

**Summary: Star's thoughts about popularity.**

Being popular is great. There are guys drooling over you, girl wanting to be you, and the fact that everyone basically bows to you.

It's not carefree, though. Every day, you spend countless hours on your appearance. You also have to make sure that you speak when you're supposed to and say the right words. If something comes out funny, you're done for.

Then there's Paulina: the alpha popular girl, I guess you would say. Being popular kind of dooms you to being a satellite around the alpha. She decided what you wear and who you date and who you're friends with.

And not to mention all the people that hate you. If you're in the A-list, the entire B-list wants to take you down for the sole purpose of pulling themselves up. Everyone would kill to make it to the top, so everyone else is always bagging on you, trying to make themselves feel better.

I wish that popularity didn't exist. There was no social latter. Just school, friends, and boyfriends and girlfriends. I would love to just quit being popular and live my life, but I can't. Not after what happened before I moved to Amity.

At my old school, I was _that kid_. The one who wore big nerd glasses and had absolutely no designer clothes. The kid who was shoved into a locker on a daily basis, and all the popular girls picked on for laughs. My hair was frizzy and I wore headgear. Eventually, the bullying got so bad I broke down in tears in front of my parents and begged them to let me transfer. I made an oath to myself not to let me fall into loserdom ever again. I got my hair straightened and bought a ton of designer clothes. I also got contacts and worked on my attitude. I was meaner. I didn't care about other's feelings as much, and I became more distant, like my head was in the clouds.

My advice to you: pick your poison. Become a brainwashed popular or an individual loser. Maybe you'll be the lucky one who stays in the middle and doesn't get caught up in the drama. If so, congratulations. You'll be the person to show people through the hectic place we call high school.

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><p><strong>My perspective on Star is that she's a girl who takes popularity so she doesn't have to pay a price. She gives up her freedom so she can be in the A-list;becomes a sattelite. I tend to write her like this a lot, and so do some other authors.<strong>


	12. Shock

**I am determined to finish this. Even if it kills me.**

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><p><strong>23. Shock<strong>

**Rating: T**

**Character: Ember **

**Genre: Tragedy **

**Summary: Ember knows shock. She's seen it all. She's seen too much.**

Define shock. No thanks. I think I've had enough in my life for…well… an eternity.

It all started that pleasant spring night. You know the nights where a gentle breeze prickles at your face and the smell of new life surrounds you. Where the pink-streaked evening sky and the faint stars that twinkle billions of miles away are like a comforting blanket. Picture that beauty.

And then there was _him. _My boyfriend, Zach. He was the coolest guy in school. Armed with his chiseled face and adorable goatee, it was hard not to fall head-over-heels for him. The only one seemingly unaffected by his charm was me. I was too busy wrapped up in my dreams of becoming a famous singer to pay attention to the world spinning about. I guess he took it as a challenge. Went in for the kill. I was flattered by his instant 'infestation' and took the bait. We spend countless nights together, eating out, on his sofa in the basement, watching a horror movie, or lurking the streets and pranking all our enemies. Life seemed great. Everything was perfect.

And then there was _him._ I had just exited a club, guitar in hand. The gig was over and I walked out onto the cobblestone-paved streets. The outside was festive, as lights were strung over trees this way and that. I spotted Zach, raising my arm to wave him over when my eyes locked on another person.

_Her._ Her arms were wrapped around Zach's broad shoulders and she was passionately kissing him on the lips. I stood in shock, the guitar case I was clutching clattering to the ground. What was he doing? Why wasn't he pushing her away in disgust and telling her that he happily had a girlfriend?

My blue eyes narrowed as I glided up to him, almost robotically. "What are you doing?" I hissed. Zach was obviously shocked that I was there, as his arms immediately loosened around the blonde. "Ember- um, I can explain," he stuttered. He had lost his entire cool. Now I saw him for what he was. A lying, jerky traitor who wasn't fit to even look in my direction.

"No, you can't," I shot back. "You rotten idiot!" I spun on my heel after that, in such a blur in anger that I wasn't even sure what I was doing. I felt like my heart had been ripped out, stomped on, and smashed into a million pieces. How could he? I trusted him. I _loved_ him.

But he clearly didn't love me. I could feel my blood now boil at the very mention of him. But I knew what I had to do. Once I was home in my room, I took out a pen and furiously began to scribble the words of a song onto paper between heaving sobs and tear drops. The salty water splashed onto the paper and blurred the ink, but I could care less.

_Yeah! Oohh! _

_It was, it was September  
>Wind blows, the dead leaves fall<br>To you, I did surrender  
>Two weeks, you didn't call...<em>

_Your life goes on without me  
>My life, a losing game<br>But you should, you should not doubt me  
>You will remember my name<em>

_Oh, Ember, you will remember  
>Ember, one thing remains<br>Oh, Ember, so warm and tender  
>You will remember my name<em>

_Your heart, your heart abandoned  
>Your wrong, now bear the shame<br>Like dead trees in cold December  
>Nothing but ashes remain...<em>

_Oh, Ember, you will remember  
>Ember, one thing remains<br>Ember, so warm and tender  
>You will remember my name<em>

_Oh ohh!_

_Ember, you will remember  
>Ember, one thing remains<br>Ember, so warm and tender  
>You will remember my name<br>Yeah! You will remember my name_

I then scrawled a small note at the bottom to my parents, hoping they would understand and the song would explain my intentions. I don't think I have the strength to repeat what I wrote, because what happens next explains it all. I lay my guitar across my bed and gently placed the songbook on top of it before running outside, entering an old shack behind my apartment, and struck a match. I then dropped it onto the floor before encircling myself with more matches. The flames blazed into the air and smoke entered my lungs, suffocating me and causing me to sink to the floor between wheezing coughs. I didn't care though, because the flames lapped at my skin, eventually consuming me, and taking me over to the other world.


	13. Nebulous

**Nebulous**

**Rating: K**

**Characters: Danny, Sam**

**Pairing: DannyxSam/Amythist Ocean**

**Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort**

**Summary: Sam isn't Sam anymore. She once was before the accident, but now all the goth girl spunk is practically nonexistent. The new girl is distant and quiet, and she doesn't even know who Danny is. Danny misses his Sam. And all he wants is his best friend back.**

* * *

><p>Sam Manson sat cross-legged in front of the school, her eyes fixed on some unknown point in the distance. She seemed completely lost and removed from everyone else, like they didn't exist as they passed around her. Now she was one girl in her own world. And that would be the way she would stay forever.<p>

Danny sighed as he watched his best friend from afar. He missed the happy times they had spent together, kicking ghost butt. Didn't she remember when they defeated Pariah Dark? Didn't she remember the countless times the Box Ghost was sucked into the Fenton Thermos? But no. All those memories shattered the second that ghost flashed her fangs at Danny and dropped Sam's limp body from the top of a seven-story building.

Danny was suddenly snapped out of his memory when Dash smashed his head against the hard metal lockers and threw back his head, laughing along with the rest of the jocks and cheerleader. "Get over it, Fenton!" he sneered. "She never liked you any way! She's just plain crazy now!" Everyone erupted into menacing cackles as they all left Danny alone. His eyes flashed a bright green as the temptation to knock them off their feet with an orb of ectoplasm seemed too much to bear. But when the blank expression of Sam entered his mind again, he sighed and walked up next to her. "Hi, Sam," he said.

No response.

"Sam, do you remember Danny Phantom?"

Silence.

_Sam, do you remember the Danny Phantom who would risk anything to save you? Do you remember the 'Wes' ring? Do you remember when that ghost dropped you to the ground and I shot out to save you? Do you remember how my body smacked into the ground and got completely torn on the back? Do you remember how I told you I loved you before I lost consciousness that night? _That was what Danny truly wanted to ask Sam, but he knew it was no use. Those words would pass through one ear and disappear into the air without any response.

"What happened to you, Sam? You were so strong. And now you don't even know who I am. Tucker and I miss you. Please, if there's any Sam left, please come out and talk to me…"

But the girl just sat there with those foggy violet eyes. Danny bit his lower lip, trying to shove down the sobs that threatened to erupt. And he turned around going to the school back and finding a white rose blooming in a bush behind.

_Why did that ghost have to attack Sam that night? …It was because she knew that I loved Sam more than anything else, and losing a loved one would be a blow to my heart. That ghost knows that without her I'm weak. _

He delicately reached out his hand and grasped it around the flower, pulling upwards and biting his lip as some of the thorns dug into his flesh. He yanked them out and proceeded to pluck the thorns off of the flower until the stalk was smooth and round. Although school had ended a good thirty minutes ago, he wanted to stay today.

"For you," he said, sliding the rose into a hole formed by Sam's semi-closed hand. She did the expected – no reaction, but a minute later, her hand completely curled and locked around the rose. She looked down at it for a bit, eyes dancing across the petals. And then she looked up at Danny who was shocked that she was actually responding.

"Danny," she said in a flat voice. _She- she said my name…_

Sam's brow furrowed as if she was solving a complicated math problem. She was trying to resurface memories from so long ago. And after a good five minutes of silence, she finally spoke. "I try to remember you, Danny. But I just can't. I really don't know who you are."

The halfa bit his lip and slowly nodded. "I want to show you something." He looked around the deserted front of the school and let two blinding white rings form around his waist. They traveled upwards and transformed Danny Fenton into Danny Phantom. Sam's eyes were swimming with confusion and shock. "Relax," Danny whispered. "I'm still me."

He gently wrapped his arms around Sam's waist and started floating upwards. At first it was a wonderful sensation to Sam, but the higher she got, the more uneasy she felt. Ever since she had woken up in that hospital room, she had an inexplicable fear of heights. And the fact that this 'Danny' boy was a ghost…how could she trust him?

Sam began to squirm in Danny's grip and said uneasily. "Put me down. Please put me down. Put me down!"

Danny looked into her eyes. "Samantha Ida Manson, I promise to you that I will never let you fall."

And although Sam felt the uncontrollable urge to leap onto a rooftop and stay there until someone rescued her, there was something so comforting, familiar, and sweet about those words…she had to trust this mysterious boy.

Danny gently looped in the sky and stared into Sam's eyes once more. They had changed since the accident, but they were still beautiful to him. "I know you don't know who I am, but Sam, I'm your best friend. And I'll always stand by you."

Sam blinked back at Danny as they drifted through the late afternoon sky. _I there any hope in getting Sam back, or am I just being stupid? _In a desperate attempt to make Sam remember, he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips. At first Sam was absolutely stunned, but the kiss was so gentle and kind she returned it back. They locked in that kiss for what seemed like an eternity, and when Danny drew back, Sam was craving for more.

"Danny Fenton," she finally said. "My ghost boy."


End file.
